New style picture frame panel

ABSTRACT

A pricing panel of sheet plastic with bevelled edges simulating a picture frame, and with retroverted extensions at its upper and lower edges for snapping the panel into upper and lower grooves of a C-shaped molding, particularly designed for supermarket use in mounting words and digits for goods indentification and pricing.

United States Patent 91 Slavsky NEW STYLE PICTURE FRAME PANEL [75] Inventor: Robert J. Slavsky, Lathrup Village,

Mich.

[73] Assignee: Shen & Slavsky, lnc., Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: June 22, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 155,436

[52] US. Cl. ..40/l0 R [51] Int. Cl ..G09f 3/18 [58] Field of Search ..40/16, 16.6, 10, 125, I2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Pavlovic .40/l 6.6

[ 1March 20, 1973 2,626,472 1/1953 Stingl ..40/l6.6 X 2,990,196 6/l96l Slavsky ..283/l8 3,419,977 1/1969 Slavsky ..40/5

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao J. Contreras Attorney-Daniel G. Cullen et a1.

[ ABSTRACT A pricing panel of sheet plastic with bevelled edges simulating a picture frame, and with retroverted ex tensions at its upper and lower edges for snapping the panel into upper and lower grooves of a C-shaped molding, particularly designed for supermarket use in mounting words and digits for goods indentification and pricing.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMARZO ma 312L027 SHEET 1m 2 g FIG. 2 {/0 v n FIGB FIG.4'

INVENTOR /0 ROBERT J. SLAVSKY i: 1mm (M ATTORNEYS NEW STYLE PICTURE FRAME PANEL BACKGROUND In my prior U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 8461, filed Feb. 4, 1970, I have disclosed a pricing panel for mounting in grooves of moldings such as are used on supermarket cabinets, shelves, and the like where the mounting is accomplished by means of separate metal clips riveted to the panel with the panel characterized by having its outer edge bevelled to simulate a picture frame, and with the body of the panel equipped with slits for receiving tabs on words, letters, and digits.

My prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,977 of Jan. 7, 1969 shows a pricing panel with a metal clip for mounting it in a molding and the panel is formed with slits for receiving small tags which cooperate with the slits so as to be mounted on the panel, these tags being in the form of words, letters, digits, and so forth.

In another patent of mine U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,196 of June 27, 1961, I show number tags which are printed with the same digit on front and back, in one case upper case, and in the other case lower case.

OBJECTS The present invention is a pricing panel generallyfor the same purpose as the pricing panel shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,977, as well as in my prior application Ser. No. 8,461, but differing therefrom in certain important respects.

My present invention aims to provide a one piece plastic'panel where the mounting means are formed integrally with the upper and lower edges of the panel for improved mounting. The improved panel is characterized by the fact that its vertical dimension is about equal to the vertical distance between the grooves of the molding into which the upper and lower edge extensions interlock, thus, enabling the panel to fit very closely against the molding, with no parts projecting forwardly from the molding any great extent, or above or below the molding to any great extent, so that the panel is not likely to be dislodged from the molding accidentally or mischievously as might be the case if the panel were mounted by a clip well forward of the molding, and where the panel also had its upper and lower edges spaced forwardly as well as above and below the molding.

In addition, because the panel is of integral one piece form, it may be manufactured by a method which is very economical and effective in producing panels quickly and easily, with such method being characterized by the fact that the panel is formed flat and its upper and lower edges are formed with central extensions which are retroverted to form mounting lugs for the panel.

A further and important aspect of the present inven tion is the fact that the panel has its edge bevelled to simulate a picture frame, not only enhancing its appearance, but also rigidifying the panel and coacting with the retroverted extensions in providing a firm and rigid mounting for the panel and maintaining the panel firm and rigid when so mounted, completely stable and secure.

The bevel of the panel not only enhances its appearance by providing a picture frame effect, but also considerably strengthens the panel and assists the back formations in holding themselves firmly in the molding and holding the panel firmly in place in very rigid condition, thus providing a superior panel and mounting, particularly as the panel, when mounted, is bowed forwardly to a limited extent.

THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the appended drawings. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a section of the panel and molding with the panel mounted in place and bowed and showing the bevelled and the mounting means in detail.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the panel in place in a moldmg.

FIGS. 3 to 8 illustrate steps in the manufacture of a panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It will be understood at the outset that the panel hereof is shown without the slits which mount price tags, word and letter tags, and so forth, in as much as the same is illustrated adequately in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,977. It will be understood however, that the panel hereof is to be provided and the showing of such U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,977 is incorporated herein by reference, with such slits, and with words and goods identifications, slogans, and price markers.

Accordingly, I herein incorporate by reference the showing of slits and the uses for same shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,4l9,977; alsothe upper and lower case atrangement of digits for number tags shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,196. This eliminates the necessity for showing these details in the drawings of this application despite the fact that the panel hereof is understood to be so equipped.

THE PANEL Essentially the price panel hereof is shown at 10 and is made of sheet plastic. Its upper and lower edges 11 have their central portions 12 retroverted into narrow double bend ogee lugs 14 with double bends at 15. The lugs are in back of the panel and enable the panel to be locked to a molding by snapping the lugs into upper and lower horizontal grooves 18 of a C-shaped molding 20, such as are found in supermarket shelves and such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,977 at 60.

The price panel is so dimensioned that the vertical dimension between the lugs 14 is substantially equal to the vertical dimension between the front/horizontal edges 11 of the panel, enabling the panel to be snugged closely against the molding 20 with no substantial distance between the panel and the molding and no substantial area of projection of the panel above or below the upper and lower edges of the molding, thus, eliminating the possibility of accidental dislodging of the panel from the molding, such as might occur if a large panel were mounted on a molding by means of a metal clip, resulting in the panel being well forward of the molding, and with parts of the panel above and below the molding.

A further and very important aspect of the panel is that its periphery is bent forwardly to form a bevelled picture frame 30. This not only enhances the appearance of the panel, but also strengthens the panel, and aids the back lugs in holding themselves firmly in place in the molding, as well as rigidifying the panel very substantially, a fact of great importance when we consider that the panel is bowed even ever so slightly when it is locked in place in a molding. The combination of reactions created by the bowing and the bevelling and the lugs provides a superior holding and firming of the panel when mounted and gives great stability to the mounted panel.

THE MOUNTING The panel may be mounted easily in a molding. The lower lug is placed in the lower groove of the molding after which the upper left hand corner of the upper lug may be placed in the upper groove in the molding and then the user may run his thumb across the upper lug and snap it completely into the upper groove of the molding and at this time the panel will bow ever so slightly and the combined action of the bowing and the stiffening provided by the bevel will cooperate with the action of the lugs to provide a stable mounting for the panel.

It will, of course, be understood that the panel is of extra heavy duty plastic, necessitated by the fact that the mounting lugs are integral with the panel itself.

The upper and lower edges of the panel are considerably strengthened and rigidified, not only by the bevel but also by the double bend retroverted lugs; these stiffen the panel considerably. The double bends of these lugs provide increased flexibility of the lugs themselves for snap-in attachment with the molding.

THE METHOD A novel aspect of the present invention is the novel method of manufacturing the panel hereof, which, it is provide a panel 10 with upper and lower extensions 12, these providing the lugs 14.

3. Thereupon, the panel is formed forwardly (FIGS. 4 and 5) at its periphery 30 to provide the bevel.

4. Thereafter (FIG. 6) the extensions 12 are bent rearwardly in the first bend.

5. Thereafter extensions 12 are bent up and out in the second bend (FIG. 7).

6. Finally, (FIG. 8) the upper and lower edges of the lugs 14 are trimmed to fit precisely and perfectly in the standard wide molding with which the panel is to be used.

Essentially, however, the method comprises two principal steps. The first is forming the flat panel with the central extensions on its upper and lower edges and secondly, retroverting the extensions to form the narrow double bend ogee lugs 14in back of the panel.

However, since the panel hereof is to be bevelled, preferably, the step of bevelling the periphery 30 of the panel forwardly for a picture frame effect is performed during at least part of the step of retroverting the extensions to form the back lugs.

Further, it is preferred to retrovert the extensions in two subste s, first turning the extensions rearwardly and mwar y and thereafter turning the outer parts of the then turned extensions outwardly and upwardly to final form.

Now having described the pricing panel hereof and the method of making it, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A price panel of plastic with central portions of its upper and lower edges being doubly retroverted into narrow double ogee lugs for snapping into upper and lower horizontal grooves of a C" shaped molding;

with the vertical dimension between the retroverted lugs being substantially equal to the vertical dimension between the front upper and lower edges of the panel;

and with the panel having its outer periphery bent forwardly to form a bevelled picture frame.

I I. i i 

1. A price panel of plastic with central portions of its upper and lower edges being doubly retroverted into narrow double ogee lugs for snapping into upper and lower horizontal grooves of a ''''C'''' shaped molding; with the vertical dimension between the retroverted lugs being substantially equal to the vertical dimension between the front upper and lower edges of the panel; and with the panel having its outer periphery bent forwardly to form a bevelled picture frame. 